Atlantic South America Section 1 MAIN IDEAS 1

Name _____________________________ Class __________________ Date ___________________ Atlantic South America Section 1 MAIN IDEAS 1. Physical features of Atlantic South America include large rivers, plateaus, and plains. 2. Climate and vegetation in the region range from cool, dry plains to warm, humid forests. 3. The rain forest is a major source of natural resources. Key Terms and Places Amazon River 4,000-mile-long river that flows eastward across northern Brazil Río de la Plata an estuary that connects the Paraná River and the Atlantic Ocean estuary a partially enclosed body of water where freshwater mixes with salty seawater Pampas wide, grassy plains in central Argentina deforestation the clearing of trees soil exhaustion soil that has become infertile because it has lost nutrients needed by plants Section Summary PHYSICAL FEATURES The region of Atlantic South America includes four What four countries make countries: Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and up Atlantic South America? Paraguay. A major river system in the region is the _______________________ Amazon. The Amazon River extends from the _______________________ Andes Mountains in Peru to the Atlantic Ocean. The _______________________ Amazon carries more water than any other river in _______________________ the world. The Paraná River, which drains much of the central part of South America, flows into an estuary called the Río de la Plata and the Atlantic Ocean. The region’s landforms mainly consist of plains and plateaus. The Amazon Basin in northern Brazil What is the Amazon Basin? is a huge, flat floodplain. Farther south are the _______________________ Brazilian Highlands and an area of high plains _______________________ called the Mato Grosso Plateau. The low plains region, Gran Chaco, stretches Circle the names of three across parts of Paraguay and northern Argentina. plains regions in Atlantic The grassy plains of the Pampas are found in South America. Original content © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor. 88 Guided Reading Workbook Name _____________________________ Class __________________ Date ___________________ Section 1, continued central Argentina. Patagonia is a region of dry plains and plateaus south of the Pampas. These plains rise in the west to form the Andes Mountains. CLIMATE AND VEGETATION Atlantic South America has many climates. Southern and highland areas have cool climates while northern and coastal areas have tropical and moist climates. Patagonia has a cool, desert climate. To the north in the Pampas, the climate is humid subtropical. In Argentina, the Gran Chaco has a humid tropical climate. Central Brazil has a tropical savanna What type of climate does climate, but to the northeast the climate is hot and northern Brazil have? dry. In southeast Brazil, the climate is cooler and _______________________ more humid. In northern Brazil, where the Amazon _______________________ Basin is located, the climate is humid tropical. NATURAL RESOURCES The Amazon rain forest is one of Atlantic South America’s greatest natural resources. It provides What threatens the Amazon food, wood, rubber, plants for medicines, and other rain forest? _______________________ products. Deforestation has become an issue that _______________________ threatens the resources of the rain forest. Land near the coastal areas in the region is used for commercial farming. However, planting the same crop year after year has caused soil exhaustion in some areas. Other resources in Atlantic South America include gold, silver, copper, iron, and oil. Dams on some rivers also provide hydroelectric power. CHALLENGE ACTIVITY Critical Thinking: Drawing Inferences Write an essay describing ways to preserve the Amazon rain forest while still helping people who rely on its resources to survive. Original content © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor. 89 Guided Reading Workbook Name _____________________________ Class __________________ Date ___________________ Section 1, continued Amazon River deforestation estuary floodplain Gran Chaco marshlands Pampas Río de la Plata soil exhaustion DIRECTIONS Answer each question by writing a sentence that contains at least one term from the word bank. 1. Into what body of water does the Paraná River flow? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 2. What two large plains regions are located in Argentina? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 3. How would you describe the world’s largest river system? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 4. What problems are affecting the natural resources of Atlantic South America? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 5. How would you describe the climate and vegetation of Atlantic South America? _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Original content © Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Additions and changes to the original content are the responsibility of the instructor. 90 Guided Reading Workbook.

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